tssassBeemsBmmmf'v^^ms'Ksvtrsm1 mm "i
rrBLUiian wkeklt
11Y THOMAS W. I<OURAIN,
TWO POOH* BKLOW Tl? A*t? J??*T AIIOVK CMKfUMV,
um mciunimo* ?thw,
TYrmt ?/ $i>bicrifHUn.~ llirce DoUara per annum, pn>
ul.lo in iulvnncc...,Nfi paper to be <l.?c<>nt |jtie<l, tut at
t)ic option of'tlie Mi tor, until m? paid.
* Idverti m-mrnti not MC'.d>n^ firtiriccu lute*, m?erted
tltc llr*t time for aeventy4We cent*, un?l firty rent* f ir
eacli aiibiiequent insertion ? and in the aantc proportion
for a larger number of \[ntn.
NAVAL HISTORY.
. II4K0 OLIW NCIDUm:. Jl'k AUIT.
ACCOi'NT . ^ "
Of (he Operation* if th* SijHtut'ihundrr CWs*. foe afwr,0
faint t . I [t; tart, Tripoli <u*d Tmnlt.
In tlio year 1795, it ^jeatv wa? concluded be
tween the United Static or Americf , anil the
Dey of Algiers, in which the foitncr were jmt
upon n footing with other nation*, on condition
of paying to the dev. a yearly tribute of twelve
thousand Algerine sequins, to be invested in na
val stores. This treaty was without infringe
inent on thtoart of the Algerines until twine*
time in the month of July, 181)2, when the (ley,
?timulatcd probably by the near prospect of a
war between the (United States and iKngland,
which he was encouraged in the belief would an*
nihilnte the naval force id the former, and diaa
blc them from taking xntixfnrtion.tookaii oppor
tunity to violate itn most important articles.?
Ho was probably further stimulated to this mea
sure by navlng little employment at that time
for his cruisers, in consequence of just conclud
ing n peace with Portugal, while at the camel
time lie was prevented from committing depre
dations upon his old enemies, the Sicilians, of J
whom the English had declared thcuselves pro
tectors. The pretence of his highness for this 1
breach of his engagements, was that the cargo |
of the ship Allegany, then just arrived with na
val stores for the payment of the tribute stipula
ted in the treaty of ' 171)5, did not contain such
an assortment of articles as lie had a right to
expect. In consequence of this disappointment
the dey who was subject to violent paroxysms
of passion, became exceedingly outrageous, and
tohl his minister of marine that the cargo should
not lie received ; that the ship should imme
diately quit Algiers, and that colonel I<ear, the
American consul, should go with her, as he
could not have a consul in his regency who did
not cause every article to be bought as he order
ed. Kvery attempt to explain on the partofthe
consul was without effect on the dey, who 'either
was, or a fleeted to be extremely Angry. A few
days afterwards he made a demandof certain
arrearages of tribute to the amount of twenty*
seven thousand dollars, tho claim to which was
founded nit the difference between the solAr ana
lunar years, the one consisting of three hundred
aml/fmyfour dfy?,' fftlfWlfk fflfflMwiMnStr
? year in the lapse of seventeen years, which
ha<l**pire<l since tlte conclusion or the treaty.
This was the first time the distinction between
the Christian and Mahometan vear had ever
been brought forward bv his highness, and it is
cbtiain that It was insisted upon in this instance
rhcrely as Airnlshing a pretext for exacting mo
ney from the government of the United States,
or, in case of a refusal as furnishing additional
ground for a declaration of hostilities. The
reasoning*, remonstrances and explanations of
the consul were without effect, and ho was at
last given to understand that if the money was
hot paid immediately, he would be sent to the
marine in chains? the Allegany and her cargo
Confiscated? every citizen of the IT. States In
Algiers condemned to perpetual slavery, and
War forthwith declared;
[After various ineffectual attempts to negotiate
4 mitigation of these demands, colonel Eear fi
nally received this definitive answer, to his re
peated applications, by Ids highness'* drogman,
"'That ho should to-morrow morning pay into
/he treasury, twenty -set en thousand Spanish
dollars, which he. the day, claimed as the ba
lance of annuities due kom the United States,
and then depart tho regency of Algiers with
h{s family and alt the eitr/.ens of the U. States."
6n failuro of payment tho consequences which
find been at first threatened, would most assur
edly he inflicted. This message having been
Considered as conclusive, the consul, desirous of
averting these calamities from himself and fami
ly' m? well as a number of his countrymen then
)n Algiers, made e? ery effort to raise the money
demanded. A merchant of Algiers, at length
ad* unced it on receiving bills on Joseph Oaviuo,
American consul at Gibraltar, and was paid in
to the treasury before the time specified in the
dey '* message. Having committed the care of
his property, which he was not permitted to at
tend to himself, to the agcnt-general of his Swe
dish midr*ty nt Algiers, colonel Lear embarked
onboard tlie Allegany with his family and about
twenty other* for the Tinted States. The dev
immediately on his departure commenced hos
tilities upon our commeice. and these outrages
remained unreversed by the government of die
Ignited ?taten, which could n?'t send a force to
the Mediterranean, hi consequence of tho war
with (Sreat-Hritoin, declaied in June following
these transactions.
Immediately however, on lite ratification of|
pence with OrcnMtritain, the attention of con
gress was called to a consideration of the con
duct of Algiers, and the. fTtrcgoing facts lieing
sufficiently Hih*tautiatcd, war wa-. declared to
exist between jthe l 'uited States of America &
- --- - ,MIV Wl /HIM | Itll W.
the regency of Algiers, ('reparations were im
mediately made to follow up this declaration,
and a squadron was fitted out under tho
Sand of commodore Decatur, consisting ol
ocrt iere, Constellation and Macedonmr
gates, the Ontairo and Kpervier sloop of
and the schooners Spark, Spitfire, Torch
flambeau. Another squadron under commo
dore Hainbridge, was to follow thlf armament,
on the arrival of which, it was undoratood coin.
Decatur would return to the United StateSMn a
single veasci leaving the command of the whole
combined forco'to commodore Hainbridge. >
The force under comtnwlore Decatur rendez
voused at New-York, from which place they
sailed on thodOihdayof April, 1815, and ar
rived in the bay* or Gibraltar in twenty-live
days, after having previously communicated
with Cadift and Tanuter. In the hassagc, the
Suit fire, Torch, Firefly and Ontario separated
at dillbrent times ftom'the squadron in gules, hut
alf joined again ^.Gibraltar, with the exception
of the ~
I Kick to
VT.y r; ivdffiviu uv
Gibraltar that the Algerino squadt-on, which had
been out in the Atlantic, han 'undoubtedly pas
?*". untlic hti'aits, and tnat information of tlie
arrival of the American force had bceu sent to
Algiers by persons in Gibraltar, commodore
Decatur determined to proceed without dcluy,
up the Mediterranean, in the hope of intercept
ing the enemy before ho could return to Algiers
or gain a neutral port. The 17thu of June, oft'
vapo de Oatt, be fell in with and captured tire
Algerino frigate Maxouda, in a running fight of
twenty-five minutes. After two broadside* tbe
Algermes ran below. Tlie Guerriere had four
men wounded by musketry*? the ? Algcrines a
bout thirty killed, according to the s^tement of
the prisoners, who amounted to four hundred
and Mix. In this n flair the fuinouH Alger.iue ad
miral, or rais, Ifammida, who had long been the
terror of this sea, was cut in two by acannoti shot.
2 ii ? ' , , ^urie? 0'1> cape I'alos, tlie squad
ron fell in with and captured an Algerittn brig
of twenty-two guus. Tlie brig was chased
close to the shore where she was followed by the
Kj?ervier, Spark, Torch and Spitfire, to whom
she surrendered after losing twenty -throe men.
?,,? Americans were eithor killed or wounded.
1 he captured brig with most of the prisoners on
board, was sent into Carthageua, where she has
since been claimed by tho Spanish government
under the plea of a breach of neutrality. As
this aflair will probably become a subject of ne
gotiation between the United States and Spain,
we decline entering into further particulars.
From capo Vftlos, the American squadron pro
ceeded to Algiers, where it arrived the 26th of
June. Aware that ^despatch boat had been
sent to Gibraltar, to inform the regency of his
arrival, and havinr also learned that several
Tartans had gone in seaith of the Algerines to
communicate the news, commodore Decatur con
eluded that their fleet was Jm tills time safe in
aome neutral pprt * *
id unwelcome arrp^'lijd
a letter from tho president
led States to the dey, in order tot of*
' WP^ftuoHy to open a negotiation,
JFof the port was immediately des
patched to tho Guerriere, on the receipt of this
Jftter, accompanied by Mr. Norderling, the
Swedish consul j and commodore Decatur, who,
with Mr. Shaler, had been empowered to i)6gb*
tiato a treaty, proposed the basis, on which alone
he could consent to enter on the affair of ?n adU
justment. This was the absolute and unquali
fied relinquishment of any demand of tribute on
the part of the regency, on any pretence what
?\6? , ,? ''cn^.rred. Ife was then ask
ed if he knew what had become of the Algerino
squadron, and replied " by this time it is safe
in some neutral port." " Not the whole of it,"
\vas the. reply, lie was then told of the capture
of the frigate, of the brig, and of the death of
llammida. He shook his head, and smiloil with
a look of incredulity, supposing it a mere at
tempt to operate on his fearit and thus induce
an acceptance of the proposed basis. Hut when
tlie lieutenant of Ilamnudn was called in, and
tho minister learned the truth of these particu
lars,, he became completely unnerved and a
greed toiiegotiate on tho proposed basis, lie
promised, however, that he was not authorised
to conclude a treaty, but requested tho Ameri
can commissioners to state the conditions they
had to propose. This was done, and tlie captain
of tlie port then requested a cessation of hostil
ities, and that the negotiation should be conduct
. 1on ,r,nro\ i"? minister of marine having
pledged himself for their security while there,
nnd their safe return to the ships* whenever thoy
pleased. Neither of these propositions were
accepted, and tho captain was expressly given
to understand that not only must the negotiation
be carried on in the Guerriere, but that ho*tili
ties would still be prosecuted against all vessels
tw Algiers, until tho treaty was signed
e?v tncdey. The captain of the port and Mr.
Norderling then went on shore, but the next
day a?ain came on board, with the information
that they were commissioned by the dey to treat
on the ba^is fur which tho commissioners of the
United States had stipulated. A treaty was
produced, which tho commissioners declared
could not be varied in any material article, and
that consequently, discussion was not only use
less, but dungerous on their part j for if in the
interim the Alirerine squadron were to appear,
it would most assuredly be attacked. On ex
amining the treaty proposed, tho enpt. of the port
was extremely anxious to get the article stipu
lating for the restoration of the property taken
by the Algerine* during the war dispensed with,
earnestly representing that it had been distri
buted into many hahds, and that as it was not
the present dey who declared war, it was unjust
that bo should answer for all its consequences.
The article was, however, adhored to by the
American commissioners, and after various at
tempts to gain a truce, as well aa to gain time,
it was at length settled that all hostilities should
instantly cease, when a boat was seen coming
ofi with a white flag, the Swedish consul pledg
ing at the samo time his honor, that it should not be
hoisted until the day had signed the treaty* end
the prisoner* were safe in the boat, 'lite ct.pt.
and Mr; Norderling then- wenton shore, and re
turned within three hours, with the treaty eign*
ed, together' with all the prisobers/alUwugU the
distance was tnore than five miles* The prin
cipal articles in this treaty were, that no tribute
under any pretext or hi any form whatever,
should ever be required by Aigierft from the U.
States of Americftt-thatoll America lis in slave*
ry should bo Riven up without ransom? -tliat
compensation should bo made for American ves
sels captured, or property seised or detaiiied at
Algiers? that the persons and property of Ame
rican citizen* found oq board an enemy's vessel
should ho 6acred ? tlmt vessels of cither party
putting into port should bo supplied with provi
sions ut market price, mid, if uece**ary to In; re
paired, should land their cargoes without paying
any duty?- that if a vessel belonging to cither
party he cant on shore, hIio should not bo given
up to plunder? or if attacked by an enemy with
in cannon shot of a fort, should be protected,
and uo oueiny lie permitted to follow her when
she wont to soa within twenty-four hours. In
general, the right* of Americans on tho occuu
and the laud were fully provided for in every in
stance, and it wa* particularly stipulated that all
citizen* of the United State* takon in war,
should be treated as prisoner* of war are treat
ed by otlior nations, and not as slaves, but held
subject to su exchange without ransom. After
concluding thin treaty, so honorable aud advan
tageous to this country, tho commissioners gave
up the captured frigate and brig to their former
owner*. To this they were iniiuouced by a
consideration of tho great expense it would re*
uuiro to put them in a condition to bo sent to
tho United States? the impossibility of dupos
I ing of them in tho Mediterranean, aud by tlie
pressing instances of the dey. himself, who earn
estly represented that this would tAs the boot
method of satisfying bis people with the treaty
just concluded, and consequently tho surest
guarantee fur its observance on hi* |>art. The
policy of the measure we think sufficiently ob
vious, when it is considered tlmt the dey would
most likely, in case of their refusal, have lalleu
a victim to the indignation of the people, and
that, in all probability, his succchsoi' would have
found his safety only in disowning the peace
which hail been inude by his predecessor. There
being, as wc before stated, some dispute with
tiio Spanish authorities with regard to tho legal
ity o! the capture of the biig, it was *tipuluted
on the part of the Am?ric<\ti commissioner*, in
order to induce theSpaniurd* to give her up, that
tile Spanish consul and a Spanish merchant, then
prisoners in Algiers should be released and per
mitted to return to bnain if they pleased. Ac<
the last auvice* tho brig was still de
... ii.. c/-? jjgJi government, aud the ulti
is vessel will probably beset
le negotiation.
..... ? despatched captain Lewi* ir
the Kpervier, bearing tlie treaty to the U . states
and (laving Mr. Sht r at Algiers, as coimul-ge
Ueral to the JJarbary state*, proceeded with tin
rest of the squadron to Tunis, with the excep
tion of two schooner* under captain Gamble
sent jto convoy the Algerine vessel* home from
jLiartbagOES. He wo* prompted to thi* visit, bj
having been informed that a misunderstanding
existed between our consul and the bashaw oi
Tunis, into the nature pf which he considered
hi . self bound in diilr to inquire. Here he wat
officially informed by the consul of a violation
of the treaty subsisting between tlie (J. States
and tlie bashaw, in permitting two prize*
of an American privateer to be taken out of tlie
harbor by a British cruiser, and secondly, in
permitting a company of merchants subjects ol
1 1'unis, to take tlie property of anAmertcan ci
tizen at their own price, and much bclo* its real
value.
me trutn or these allegations being thus offi
cially verified, commodore Decatur addressed
a letter to tho prime minister of Tunis, demand
ing satisfaction for theso outrages exercised or
permitted by the bashaw, and a full restoration
of the property thus given or sacrificed. The
bashaw, through the medium of his prime minis
ter. acknowledged the truth or the facts, as
well aa the justico of the demands | but begged
twelve months to pay the money.. This was re*
fused, and on receiving assurances that it would
bopaid forthwith, the commodore went on shore,
where he received the visits of the different con*
huIs. The brothe: of the prime minister of Tu
nis chanced to arrive with the money at' ihii
time, anil seeing the British consul in conversa
tion with commodore Decatur, threw down the
bags which contained it with great Indignation,
at the same time addressing the consul in Hog
lish, which he spoke fluently* " You see, sir,
wliat Tunis is ooliged to pay for your itpolence.
You must feel ashamed of the disgrace you
have brought upon us. You are very good
fi ieods now, but 1 ask you whether you think It
| lust first to violate Our neutrality, and then to
leave us to be destroyed, or pay for your ag*
Sessions.'* As soon as the mouey was paid,
e bashaw prepared: to despatch a minister to
Kngland, todemaiiuthe amount which he had
boon obliged to pay in consequence of this re
quisition of the American commodore.
After adjusting these differences, the squa
dron proceeded to Tripoli, whero commodore
Decatur made a similar demand for a similar vi- i
olntion of the treaty subsisting between tho (J- i
nited States and the bashaw, who had permit- i
ted two American vessels to be taken from un- i
der the guns of his castle by a British sloop of i
war, and refused protection to an American I
cruiser lying within his jurisdiction. Hestitu* |
tion of the full value of these vessels wis de- <
mantled, and the money, amounting to twenty- I
five thousand dollars, paid by the bashaw into |
the hands of the American consul. After the i
conclusion of this affair, the American consular i
flag, which Mr. Jones? tlie consul, had stnW
li consequence of the violation of neutrality* ? P
)10V? mentioned* was hoisted in the presence ot J
tho foreign agents, and saluted from the castle
with thirty-one guns. In addition to the satu- s.
ruction thus obtained for unprovoked ainn-essi- \
ons, the commodore had the pleasure of obtah- ^
'ng^reieAHe often captives, two Danes, and \
eigH Neapolitans, the latter of whom he lauded I
lit Messina* 7 1
After touching at Messina and Naples, the,
squadron sailed Tor Carthagena on the 31st o.l
August, where commodore Decatur was in ex-*
pectntion of meeting tlie relief squadron under
commodore Bainbrfdge. On Joining that officer ,
Q .r'l'T |icr?',,'<|ttiihedliis command, and
sailed in tlie Guerriere for the United States
where he arrived on the 12th of November, I K 1 5.
hvery thing being done previous to the arrival
or the second division of the squadron, under
commodore Uainbridge, that gallant officer had
no opportunity of distinguishing himself, as we
mo batirtficd he fllwAp will \vht?rc occasion iic*
?^rg# iJ\ur#uan* to his instruction* he exhibited
this additional force before Algiers, Tunis and
I upon, where they were somewhat surprised
at tho appearance of tlie Independence seventy*
four, having always been persuaded that the U
mted States were restricted by their trcntios
with Kiigland from building ships of that class.
When colonel Lear was consul at Algiers he
endeavored to convince the ministers of the Dey
that such was not the case ; but they always re
plied,4' If you arc permitted to build seventy,
lours, let us see one of them and we shall ho sa
tisfied." Commodore Uainbridge sailed from
Gibraltar thirty-six hours holme the Guerriere,
and arrived at Boston the 15th of November.
l'hus was concludcd an expedition in which,
though few, perhaps no opportunities occurred
lor a display of the ha?-dy prowess of our sailors,
the nation acquired singular honor, in humbling
and chastising a race of lawless pirates, who
have long been the inveterate scourges of the
Christian world. Independently of the glory
thus accruing to the republican name, the pro
liable advantages arising from this sudden and
unlooked-for appearance of an American squa
dron immediately after a war with Great Britain,
we think will be manifold. This circumstancc '
will give them an idea of the power and resour
ces of the United States altogether different
from that which they before entertained ; and
serve to convince them of the danger of provo
king their resentment under any expectation of
the destruction of their nnvy by any power
whatever. That the assurance of in immcdiato
war with England was what principally encou
raged the Dey of Algiers to commence hostili
ties against the United States, under a convicti
on that our little navy would speedily be anni
hunted, is evident from the following fact. One
of the Dey'g officers oue morning insinuated,
? .cr *rue. or W*? cannot say, to tho
Britishconsu at Algiers, that it was his fault
that they declared war. ?* You told us," said
he, " that the American navy would be destroy,
cd in six months by you, and now they make war
upon us with two of your own vesseft thru have
taken from you I"
vJ? t^t the states of Barbary pay
little attention to the faith of treaties, and that
thev profess a perfect contempt for that coda
which is called the law of nations, which they
say was established without their consent* and
consequently is not binding on them. Wc
know that the pUatical habits of these peoplo
are almost unconqucrable, and their antipathy
tll i S1" "iSI lnve^rtt?. But weahio
knowthat those whom no obligations can bind,
m^nUkS.l[I? ** ?"*? ?W,rehenH>0'l? of
olfen *ear * potent
W*JUJggJti the attainment ofju?tice,a8 wcll as
t?i?2!r0n ??d the recollection
a cnaattsement, when it does not stimulate to
vehge, ^generally efftctual in preventing a
petition of those outrages which brought down
the punishment. Without culculati.*, there*
fore, on th e good faith or tho good will of tho
Harbary states, we cannot but permit ourselves
to hope and believe that the late display of our
naval force in the Mediterranean, and the' promnt
energy of the distinguished officer who directed
it, will have secureu to the United States a last
ing peace, unshackled by any degrading com
pliances on our ' |?rt, and gained by an honora
ble exertion of force in a just cause.
'^Whatever may be the actual advantages re
"L i!* i'T one.ations of the American
squadron in the Med iter. mean, and whether
the treaty made by commodore Decatur will be
permanent or not, still is there one thing grow
ing out of it which can never be forjrot l?y the
people of the United States. It is the recoller -
tioii of having humbled these proud barbarian*,
that have so long been the terror of tho Medi*
terraiiean, and the scourge of tho Christ inn
name, the prowess of these renowned free
booters, has long been connected with the ro
inantic exploit* of chivalry, and is a?sociated
with our earliest recollections. The Christian
knight had always Ids fiercest encounters, his
most desperato struggles with some " pnunhn
Afoot. and though the reputation of the kniirlit,
as well as a due regard to poctic justice, render
ed it indisMnsabla that the Christian should
Bt4" hltl triumph was always oained
with infiiiitediflicultv. A proof of tlie opinion
long entertained of their prowess is, that thev
arc every where represented in the old legend*,
M of a gigantic stature. It is oho of tho iy.om
?f ignorance to make the body, rather thun tho
Wind* the criterion for heroism, and there U
hardly a distinguished champion of the earlv a
M? that was not remnrkable for the diutenxioiM
ot his fame, because it was hy this that the wri
ters of romance endeavored (ogive to their Aiin
plo readers a more otriking image of strength
ind ferocity. Independently of the repu&ti.m the
Moorish rare su?Uins in the -vorlw of imagi